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Why would a lack of knowledge of the Old Testament weaken our understanding of the New Testament?
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We would not be able to relate to why Jesus came to earth to save us from our sins
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Without knowledge of the Old Testament it makes the knowledge of the New Testament imbalanced in the the Christian life , leaving them to not fully understand who they are , and who truly God is.
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Jesus often referenced the Old Testament, and many of the prophecies from the Old Testament were fulfilled through Him. Jesus’ presence is also found in the Old Testament. Without the Old Testament, how can we understand the prequel and prologue to the New Testament? The answer is simple.
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Not understanding the context or storyline of the Old Testament destroys our ability to understand the New. Its as if we are picking up 2/3 of the way through a complete narrative. We dont understand cultural reference or historical significance in the New Testament if we dont deeply understand the Old. You miss the purpose of the Sinai covenant, you miss the historical details that help us build the foundation for key events in the New Testament, you fail to understand the context of race relations or enmity between nations, and you miss all of the references and prophecy concerning the coming of Christ.
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Pharisees challenge Jesus constantly on his teaching using Old Testament Scriptures. Even Satan uses Scripture to tempt Jesus. We need to be fully aware of context behind the entire Bible so we do not take Scripture out of context. We can’t understand the New Testament without knowing God’s character, love, and power from the Old Testament.